gjdale

Nice looking guns Sjors. Can't wait to see them rigged!

Lovely work on the treenailing Nigel. Sane is highly over rated!

Looking good Mark. Gotta agree about the Swiss Pear. I'm using it for the frames in my cross-section build and its a real joy to work with.

Thanks very much Bob, Mark, Sjors, Dave, Jeff and Aldo, and also to all of the "likes". It's been a while since my last post, but only because I was doing more testing, thinking, testing, thinking............ Completing the Double Frames Okay, so I decided that I wasn’t entirely happy with my scarph joints, and also that I was over-thinking the Chocks. Time to revisit methodologies (again). I decided to try Mobbsie’s method of creating the scarph joints, by using a file and the top edge of a vice as a reference plane/stop. Only problem was, I first had to go out and buy a new vice with a flat top surface on the jaws. The method is really simple. Having cut roughly to shape on the scroll saw, simply line up the template pattern line with the top of the vice jaws and and file until you feel metal instead of wood. Some of the frames require cutouts for gunports/sweeps etc, and these are cut into the frames prior to assembly. To achieve this, I used a neat razor saw to make some initial cuts before removing the waste with a chisel, and then finishing using the file/vice method. Time to re-think the Chocks, again…….. Here’s the latest method, and this really seems to work well. First up, getting a good, neat butt join between adjacent futtocks is essential, along with scarph joints that meet evenly at the butt join. This is achieved using the file/vice method and test fitting, filing, test fitting until satisfied. Once happy with the butt/scarph joints, I used double sided tape to hold the lower central futtock in place over the pattern, placed more double sided tape over the locations for the remaining futtocks, and then placed some glue on the mating face of the next futtock before placing it in position hard up against the first futtock, where it is held in place by the double sided tape until the glue dries. This process is repeated with the remaining futtocks until the frame (minus chocks) is complete. The chocks were then made by cutting a piece of stock to roughly the width of the chock space and then finessing with the Disc Sander until a neat fit in to the chock opening was achieved. Note the “handles” on the inboard side of the chocks. The chock ends were then shaped on the Disc Sander until a neat fit was obtained, at which point the chocks were glued in place. Because of the neat fit, and the frames being held in place on the tape, no clamps were required. This had been problematic previously as clamps tended to throw everything out of alignment as they were tightened. Once the glue had dried, the frames were removed from the templates, the chock “handles” trimmed close on the scroll saw, and then finished off on the spindle sander. Here’s what a completed frame looks like, with almost invisible joints…. Once the method was worked out, completing the remaining double frames went very smoothly. All five double frame pairs have now been completed. Here are a few progress shots: That's it for now. Off to Sydney to visit family for a couple of days and then it's on with the single frames, which should be relatively easy (famous last words)......

Hi Aldo, Wonderful to see you back in the shipyard again! I do hope this signals a resumption of play and that we'll be seeing a lot more of you once again. Your progress looks great so far. Great idea to have Chuck laser cut some tricky parts for you.

Hi Carl, I've been tempted by this little kit on numerous occasions, so it's good to see one being built. I'll follow along with interest.

Hi Kevin, I know that some people like to glue/pin their masts in position, but I have never found it necessary. The Standing Rigging will hold it securely in place, and if ever the ship were to be damaged, it is then an easy matter to remove/replace the mast (which would not be the case were it to be glued/pinned).

Thanks Aldo, Great to see back and posting again.

Congratulations on your new job Doris. I hope you still manage to find enough time to progress your exquisite models.

Great work Frank. Your models are always that little bit different with your weathering techniques.

Lovel work, as always, Augie. The stove looks fantastic - hope you managed to finish it in time to cook the crew their Christmas dinner!

I think that all looks much better Sean. Merry Christmas.

Wow Sjors, what a great looking rear end! Fabulous work mate, Aggy is looking quite splendiferous. Merry Christmas to you both.

Hi Sean, I've just gone and dug out my AOTS book on Victory and it tells me (pg 18) that the gun tackle blocks were all 11" (both side and train tackle). At 1:90 scale that works out at 3mm almost exactly, so your blocks are actually correct. They just "look" too big. At the end of the day, it's your call and you are the one who has to be happy with the results. By the way, the same reference tells us that the breaching rope is 9 1/2 inches (that will be circumference). I'll let you do the math to work out if yours are the correct size (though they look about right to me). Hope this is helpful. Cheers,

Sean, as you asked for "brutal honesty", I would say the guns look pretty good, but I still think that all of the tackle looks over size for the scale. I think I used 2mm blocks for the side tackle. I know that Syren does some in this size. It might not sound like much difference, but a 3mm block is 50% larger than a 2mm block. Sorry, but you did ask.........

Gorgeous looking grating Nigel - that is particularly well done. Very impressive!

I'd have to say that I'm not a fan of that style of rope coil Sean, except for "Admiral's Rounds" - it's just not consistent with a "working" display.

Last time I counted, it was eleventy gazillion...............but still one short when I needed it!

That looks way better Sean! My only query now would be the size of the line in that aft tackle set-up (recoil line?). To my eye it looks to be a tad large for the scale - have you done a conversion from actual size to scale size to check? Otherwise, it could just be my eyes that need checking!

I have the Excalibur 21", purchased through Carbatec and have been delighted with it. If you pick your timing right, you can get it for about $200 or so less than their regular retail - they go on sale periodically. The only issue I had with mine was a breakage in the upper drive link assembly. It seems that since I bought mine, they changed the design and "designed out" the part that failed - which is a long way of saying, you won't have the same problem! Carbatec were excellent in their support service and helped me to identify the new parts I needed and then sent them to me very quickly. In short, it is an excellent machine and well worth the money. Best of luck with your shopping!

Very nice work so far Gary. Love the extra detail on the gun deck.

I agree with the ringbolt size comment Sean. If you can source/make some much smaller ones, I think that will help significantly. And you're right about the side tackles too.......... At least once you get the test piece right, you'll be set for the remaining 99 guns!!!!!

Revised Chock Making Method I wasn’t entirely happy with the chocks in my test frame and decided to try a couple of different methods. In the end, this is what I did. I first marked up some “construction lines” on the frame template, and then cut a cardboard template strip (from a manila folder) to suit the width of each of the chock sizes: Then I held the frame sections in place over the template and traced around the inside of the scarf joint to mark the chock shape onto the template. The shape was then transferred to the chock “stock” and finessed to shape on the Byrnes Disc Sander: This worked reasonably successfully, so will continue with this method for the remaining frames. Here’s a shot of the finally finished frame D1/D2, complete with blackened bolts, in position in the jig. Now to make a few more……..

It looks to me that the rear tackle (recoil rope?) isn't quiite long enough. I believe it should be able to bring the muzzle of the gun inboard (but I could be wrong here). I omitted this line on my model.

Yep, I was wondering about the hair-do too! Looking good Wayne - love the blanket.